


Better Moments

by MayQueen517



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gift Fic, M/M, Wooing, kaiju parts as a plot device yep, well maybe more like courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-05
Updated: 2013-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-22 13:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/913736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dude, have you been courting me with kaiju parts?"</p>
<p>Hannibal makes a noise, shrugging as he rolls his eyes. It's barely visible from behind the red lenses, "You weren't gonna get the point any other way, moron," he says. And yeah, Newt knows <i>that</i> tone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marchingjaybird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marchingjaybird/gifts).



> Birthday fic for the dear marchingjaybird! She had previous prompted me with Newt finding out that Hannibal wasn't dead and it spun into this. Happy birthday, Mary!! I hope you like it!

The thing is - really, it's a multitude of things - is that nobody even _thinks_ to tell Newt that Hannibal Chau was seen cutting his way out of the baby kaiju. Nobody told him and see? That is a huge failure of communication. And organizations like this run on information so Newt finds himself a little confused as to why nobody thought to tell him that Hannibal fucking Chau was alive and kicking. Hah, kicking.

This is all, really, a moot point, considering that he's been cornered in an alley on a pretty routine trip into the city. Because, well, fuck communication because the man himself has that stupid butterfly knife pressed dangerously close to his gut.

"I hear tell that you need more kaiju parts," Hannibal says, and Newt can see the barest hint of his eyes through the red lenses. He looks like he's gritting his teeth and the flash of gold is somehow more ominous than the kaiju blue glow of Otachi that sometimes still chases him down in his nightmares.

"I, uh. You're alive," he says dumbly before wanting to smack himself. Hannibal's face goes through a complicated motion that looks more like a twitch than anything. He doesn't say anything and Newt can totally take a hint. 

"Uh, I mean, the Breach is closed and, you know, kaiju parts are gonna be in short supply soon and how did you survive, dude? The ammonia should have _killed_ you."

"Guess I'm just lucky," Hannibal says evenly in the same way that had lead to him grabbing Newt's face only a few nights ago, "I can get some parts to you. For a price."

"A-a price?" Newt stammers, staring at Hannibal and wondering if he can convince Hannibal to take that knife away from his gut. It's just, you know, he's not going to run, but that knife is making him awful nervous. 

"When I call you - and I will call you," he says, pressing closer with a flash of gold teeth, "you come running. Deal?"

Newt can feel the pressure of the knife and the heat that emanates off of Hannibal and he gulps, nodding shakily.

"I. Yeah. Sure, of course. Run like the wind, right?" he says, laughing weakly as Hannibal arches an eyebrow before seeming to give up on it, closing the knife and putting it back in his pocket.

"I'll see you around, kid," he says, stepping out of the alley and walking away like nothing ever happened.

===

The first package comes to the Shatterdome a day later. The box, when picked up, sloshes and Newt is all at once curious and alarmed. Hannibal wouldn't send anything too dangerous, he doesn't think. 

At least, he's pretty sure.

He opens the box and stares at the line of jars, smaller than most he had seen in Hannibal's shop, but filled with neatly labeled parts of various kaiju. In the last one, a huge jar, filled with a green liquid and labeled with cramped handwriting is a piece of Mutavore's tongue.

Newt isn't entirely sure what to make of that, but the tissue samples are enough to keep him occupied for hours.

===

The fourth package is a large jar that takes both arms to lift out of the box. In it, suspended in clear liquid, is one of the Kaiju skin mites. 

He stares at it, realizing slowly that he's never been able to get his hands on one. They've always died before PPDC could get one and he remembers saying something along those lines to Hannibal.

Hermann sees it as he walks in, making a face as Newt resists the urge to pet the jar and name the skin mite. It's amazing, he thinks, not thinking to how many had been crawling around after Otachi and the baby. 

"What is that?" Hermann asks, resigned because Newt knows he knows exactly what it is. It's the kind of question where you hope the answer is anything other than what you know it is. 

"This, Hermann, is a skin mite and it's beautiful, so don't you say a word."

===

It seems strange to see Hannibal out in the daylight. He knows that logically he has to come out of his shop to make his deals, but knowing that is entirely different than watching the man stroll through the crowd and approach his table. Newt isn't entirely sure what has lead to this moment, but he's pretty sure it had something to do with kaiju, strange luck, and the burger in his hands.

"What's your story, kid?" Hannibal asks, sitting down across from him like they're old friends. Newt stares at him, burger hovering in the air as he takes in the scene before him. Leaned back in his chair, arm draped over the back casually and the vest and jacket are a deep shade of green. It only serves to highlight the gold on his teeth and at the earring he wears. If it were anyone else, they'd look ridiculous and instead, Hannibal Chau looks like the most dangerous person you've ever seen. Granted, Newt thinks, that's probably because he is.

"My what?"

"Your story. You deaf, kid?"

Newt rolls his eyes, shrugging as he takes a giant bite out of his burger. It's definitely not like home, but for now, it'll do. 

"I was in school when San Francisco got attacked. Changed my major the next day and didn't look back."

"That it?" Hannibal asks, staring at him and Newt can't stop himself from glancing to the scars over Hannibal's left eye. He thinks to the hemorrhaging in his own left eye, the weird blur that came with it and the way Hermann had looked so annoyed by his own eye in return. 

"Well, I went to MIT, got some doctorates and taught grad school for a few years. Then I started researching tissue replication, caught the eye of PPDC and here I am," he says, not wanting to reveal everything about himself, even if it's common knowledge if Hannibal really wanted to look around and find out.

They watch each other and Newt has the distinct impression that he's being studied in more ways than one. He opens his mouth to say something about the latest specimen before Hannibal leans back in his chair. 

"You miss it?"

Newt blinks in confusion before he clues in, "What? Oh, teaching? It was interesting, I guess. I think they sort of thought I was crazy," he says, motioning to the color of his arms. Hannibal's eyes focus on the tattoos, before meeting his eyes. 

"Next package'll be by in a few days," Hannibal says, changing the subject as he stands. He pushes his chair in and by the time he's disappeared into the crowd, Newt's burger is cold and he's more bewildered than before.

===

It's the ninth package that Hannibal has sent him and this one takes considerably longer to show up. Newt finds himself on edge about it, which is ridiculous, right? He's on edge waiting for a gift from the number one black market dealer in China, if not the world.

Newt's kept waiting for weeks and almost months when the package arrives, sloshing in a way that is stupidly and weirdly familiar these days.

Inside a jar, floating in yellow liquid is the crest and tendrils from Leatherback. The tendrils, a little worse for wear, are bioluminescent (still going, though not as strong as he suspects they once were) and Newt is pretty sure he's never seen a more beautiful sight. 

He wonders, exactly, what it says about him that these are the best gifts he's received.

===

In lieu of a next gift, he gets a note dashed on a red card. It's similar to one of the red cards that initially lead him to Hannibal in the first place. He shines a UV light over it, picking up the quick note.

_Tonight. 8:30pm. Don't be late. ___

__He stares at it and swallows hard. And really, it's not like Hannibal's going to kill him or anything. Except for how he totally abandoned him to a public Kaiju shelter._ _

__Newt stares at it for a moment longer, remembering the deal and the parts that have come into his possession since then. He remembers the excitement of the compound found on Mutavore's tongue and the calculations that Hermann is currently running._ _

__He thinks about it and thinks about not going. He thinks about the press of the butterfly knife to his gut and the warmth of Hannibal before he decides to go; he wonders if this is perhaps what Stockholm Syndrome is like._ _

__And the thing is? He's not really nervous. Well, okay, he's as nervous as anyone would be when faced with the prospect of Hannibal Chau with a knife. And that's perfectly normal and totally sane (even if Hermann would argue the last point). He goes into the city, side-stepping the damage and feeling guilt well up in him._ _

__Otachi had wanted him, had searched through the city for him and she and her baby had nearly had him. It's a terrifying thought, even more so when he walks into the shop and gets ushered to the specimen area without a word. Hannibal's overseeing the preservation of what Newt thinks is one of Otachi's wings, the membrane stretched then and submerged in a thin layer of liquid to keep it pliant._ _

__"You're early."_ _

__"What are you doing to the wing?"_ _

__Hannibal grunts to himself, almost amused as Newt steps closer, studying the membrane. He scoots out of the way when one of Hannibal's workers starts to cut thin strips away._ _

__"Everyone wants a piece of Otachi," he says easily, stepping back. He's closer to Newt this way and Newt wonders exactly what this is all for._ _

__Hannibal motions, leading him out of the area and back onto the balcony and Newt is struck by nothing but deja vu._ _

__"You likin' the gifts?"_ _

__Newt looks over to him, seeing Hannibal looking out over the people and the religious cult across the way. He blinks at the word 'gifts' and realizes it's true even as Hannibal turns to look at him, expectant._ _

__"I. Oh, yeah, dude. They're some of the cleanest specimens I've ever seen," he says enthusiastically._ _

__Hannibal hums or grunts or some noise that mixes the two of them that Newt's never heard before. Newt waits for a moment, clearing his throat._ _

__"So, hey, thanks. For Mutavore's tongue."_ _

__"Nobody else wanted it; figured you'd find a use for it," Hannibal said and Newt makes a face and snorts as he leans against the balcony. Hannibal has moved closer and Newt doesn't remember him doing it. Their arms are pressed together and Newt thinks of the specimens he's had in the months since The Breach closing. Since Hannibal apparently carved his way out of a baby kaiju._ _

__He looks over and sees Hannibal watching him with his brow knit together. Newt gets a split second to realize what's happening before Hannibal crowds into his space, kissing him. It's not gentle, but it's not rough; it's strange, kissing Hannibal Chau, Newt thinks. Not funny, ha-ha strange, but more like strange interesting; the sort of interesting that made him change his major halfway through school._ _

__The sort of interesting that has him surging forward to kiss Hannibal harder. The kiss is heated and strange and Newt is cataloging every single thing he can about it. They pull away and Newt stares at Hannibal, confused but wanting more._ _

__"Dude, have you been courting me with kaiju parts?"_ _

__Hannibal makes a noise, shrugging as he rolls his eyes. It's barely visible from behind the red lenses, "You weren't gonna get the point any other way, moron," he says. And yeah, Newt knows _that_ tone. The tone that he's gotten used to from Hermann._ _

__Annoyed, yet fond, and it's weirder than weird to hear it coming from Hannibal Chau. Newt thinks about all the kaiju parts, about the jars and packages that have come to the Shatterdome; the ones that'll go home with him and the ones that match his tattoos._ _

__He thinks about lunch and talking about teaching and how he sometimes misses it._ _

__"You should have said something," Newt finds himself saying and he's got the idea that maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all._ _

__"Two months of kaiju organs and he still misses the message," Hannibal says, throwing his hands up._ _

__"Yeah, yeah, I'm a moron. But you didn't say anything."_ _

__"I gave you Mutavore's tongue, you little shit."_ _

__"You said nobody else wanted it! You just said it!" Newt throws his own hands up, ready to start pacing. Everything whirls through his brain like the loops on a roller-coaster and it's only when Hannibal grabs him and kisses him hard that he stills._ _

__Newt thinks, distantly, that this is almost as bad of an idea as drifting with a kaiju. Of course, drifting with a kaiju pretty much saved the world, so goes there _that_ reasoning. Kissing back stops seeming like a bad idea, turning slowly into a great idea with every pass of their lips and Newt, for once, stops thinking about good ideas and bad ideas and the kaiju and instead focuses on the heady feeling of hands holding him in place._ _

__It is, if Newt says so himself (and he does), one of his better moments._ _


End file.
